Azerbaijan extends criminal defamation to Internet speech

New
York, May 14, 2013--Azerbaijani parliament's approval to extend criminal defamation
laws to include Internet speech is a serious setback for press freedom in a
country that severely curtails free expression already, the Committee to
Protect Journalists said today. CPJ calls on President Ilham Aliyev to veto the
bill.

The
local press reported that
members of parliament voted to amend the criminal code to extend punishment for
slander and insult--articles 147 and 148 of the code respectively--to the
Internet. Those found guilty of slander can be sentenced to a fine of up to 500
Azeri manat (US$637); corrective labor of up to one year; or jail time of up to
six months. Insult charges carry a fine of up to 1,000 Azeri manat (about
US$1275); one year of corrective labor; or imprisonment of up to six months,
the Baku-based news agency APA
reported.

The
amendments, which were passed ahead of the October presidential elections, could
hamper public debate and cement self-censorship at a time when plurality of
views and coverage are crucial. European institutions and international
press freedom and human rights groups
including CPJ have repeatedly
urged Azerbaijan to decriminalize defamation. But Ziyafat Asgarov, the vice
speaker of parliament, told lawmakers that Azerbaijan has no obligation before
the Council of Europe to decriminalize defamation, and said that society "is
not ready for it," the APA reported.

"Azerbaijani
authorities should be decriminalizing defamation, not extending it to the
Internet," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova.
"If signed into law, this bill would rob the public of online news, which has
become vital in a society where traditional media is already severely
restricted. We urge President Aliyev to veto this legislation."

Emin
Huseynov, director of the Baku-based Institute for Reporters' Freedom and
Safety, condemned the vote and said in a statement that it was "a
blatant political move and a shabby attempt to hijack online freedoms amid
mounting pre-election crackdown."

Azerbaijan's
press freedom record has significantly deteriorated over the past year, CPJ research shows. Authorities
imprisoned at least seven independent journalists in retaliation
for their work; failed to bring to justice those responsible for physical attacks and intimidation of critical reporters;
and adopted legislation aimed at restricting funding for local non-governmental
organizations.